(WASHINGTON, DC) – The United States Navy has selected an extended range cruise missile for a programme aimed at supplying allies with affordable, long range strike weapons. The RAACM ER missile, developed by CoAspire, will be adapted under the CHAOS project, a US Navy initiative to create mass produced, low cost precision munitions for American forces and partner nations.
The contract is valued at USD 70 million, equivalent to approximately GBP 54 million or EUR 65 million. Deliveries will be managed through the Foreign Military Sales framework, a US government programme that oversees arms transfers to approved countries. The selection moves forward a wider Pentagon effort to field cheaper alternatives to existing cruise missiles while maintaining significant reach.
The new variant, designated Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile Extended Range, features a larger airframe and a substantially increased combat radius. Engineers have extended the weapon’s reach to more than 1,800 kilometres, a figure that multiplies the baseline RAACM model’s 400 kilometre range by more than four. The original RAACM, developed under the ERAM programme, carries a unit cost of just several thousand dollars. Pricing for the extended range model has not been made public.
Industry analysts describe the weapon as a lower cost counterpart to established systems such as the JASSM and Tomahawk cruise missiles. A land based version of the missile parallels the Chost project, which the US Army is funding through its Low Cost Containerized Missiles programme. The CHAOS project, which stands for Coalition Heterogeneous Affordable Offensive Strike, is structured to deliver weapons that can be fielded in large numbers without the expense of traditional programmes.
Earlier this year, evidence emerged that Ukraine may have already used another ERAM programme weapon. The AGM-188A Rusty Dagger, an air launched cruise missile, was integrated onto Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets in April, according to defence media reports. Russian authorities have commented on what they describe as the high accuracy of the Rusty Dagger following strikes on targets inside occupied territory. No official confirmation of the missile’s combat use by Ukrainian forces has been issued by Kyiv or Washington.
The RAACM family of weapons represents a shift in Pentagon acquisition strategy, favouring rapid development cycles and designs that can be shared across multiple allied air and ground platforms. The 1,800 kilometre reach of the extended range variant places strategic targets deep inside occupied territory within range, should the system be transferred to Ukraine through future Foreign Military Sales packages. The baseline RAACM’s cost profile, far below that of traditional cruise missiles, allows for procurement at scale by nations with constrained defence budgets.
CoAspire’s engineering work on the RAACM ER has centred on stretching the missile body to accommodate additional fuel, while retaining compatibility with existing launch systems. The design philosophy mirrors the US Army’s containerised missile concept, in which weapons are packaged for rapid deployment from standard shipping containers. The US Navy’s involvement through the CHAOS project signals an intent to coordinate strike weapon development across service branches and coalition partners simultaneously.
The CHAOS programme office has not disclosed a delivery schedule for the first RAACM ER units. The USD 70 million award covers adaptation and qualification work necessary to bring the extended range model into the Foreign Military Sales catalogue. Once certified, the missile will be available for purchase by approved allied governments seeking to expand their deep strike capabilities without acquiring costlier inventory. The weapon’s unit economics, anchored by the baseline model’s low price, are expected to drive interest among European and Indo Pacific partners.